Elevator



(No'Moael.)

S. E. STOKES.

BLBVATOR.

No. 469,984I

Patented Mar. 1, 1892.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL STOKES, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA."

ELEVATO R.

SPECIFICATI forming part of Letters Patent No. 469,984, dated March l, 1892. Application filed September 24:, 1885. Serial No. 178,006. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL E. STOKES, a citizen of the United States, residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in-Elevators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention Vconsists of certain improvements in devices for controlling the' lmovements of elevator-cars, as fully described hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a diagram of fan, elevator car and shaft illustrating my improvements applied thereto.. Fig. 2 is a similar view illustrating my invention in its simplest form. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan View on the line l 2, Fig. 2, on an enlarged scale. Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are views of modified forms of devices for operating the valve-ropes, and Figs. 7 and 8 show modifications of power-operating devices for the car.

In the drawings I have shown the device attached to a hydraulic elevator such as is used for passenger travel; but I have deemed it best for the sake of clearness to omit the hoisting-ropes and guides.

A represents the ordinary elevator-car, and B the different floors of a building. y

C is a tension device to which are attached the -upper ends of the power-controlling ropes, and D isa valve-chest carrying a weighted lever e, to which are connected the lower ends of said ropes.v It will be understood that the valve is usually placed in the basement or on the lower floor of the building near the lower end of lthe elevator-shaft, and in the present instance it is what is termeda three-way valve, whichis open when the valve-lever e is in the position shown in Fig. l and the elevator-car is ascending. VVheD, however, the lever e assumes the position shown by dotted lines, the valve is open to the exhaust and the car descends. Connected by a link c to the piston-rod d ofthe valve is a pivoted lever e, the opposite end of which is provided w1th an adjustable balance-weight d2, the lever being fulcruvmedon a rock-shaft e2 on the valve-casing. The lower end of the rope ct is secured to said valve-lever e, and its upper end, after passing around the pulleys on the car, as hereinafter described, is secured to the yield1ng support or bar F, which slides in suitable bearings f, secured to one side of the elevatorshaft. This bar F is attached by a link to a lever E, pivoted to one side of the elevatorshaft and weighted sufficient-ly to keep the tension always on the rope, so that the valve may be accurately operated. This tension device is not at all times absolutely essential to the proper operation of the various modifications of my invention, as it will be understood that in some instances the strain caused by the opening and closing ofthe valve is insuicient to overcome the weight on the counterbalance-lever, so that practically, so far as the operation of the valve is concerned, the

end of the rope may be said to be connected to a fixed point.

Adapted to a suitable bearing g inthe side of the car is a shaft II, having an arm h, carrying a spindle t', on which revolves loosely a rope wheel or pulley I. The outer end of the spindle is adapted to an arm j of a twoarined lever J, which has a stud k on the arm jg for a purpose described hereinafter. The lever .I is pivoted to a barG at la', which is directly in line with the shaft I-I and in fact constitutes acontinuation of the shaft. Some distance below the shaft II is a shaft or stud L, adapted to bearings in the side of the car A,fand on which is mounteda loose pulley M, the rope beingattached to the tension device at the top of the well and extending down around the pulley M, up over the pulley I, and down to the valve-lever e, as shown in Fig; 2.

The shaft H can be provided with a suitable operating-lever, `as shown, Figs. l and 2, by dotted lines, or with any of the operating devices shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 6, and hereinafter described.

The above description alludes solely to an elevator-controlling device in whichbut a single rope is employed, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, and I will now describe my invention in connection with a valve-operating device employing two ropes, this special coustruction, however, being claimed in Letters Patent of the United States granted to me on the 5th day of June, A. D. 1888, No. 384,096.

The tension devices and valve are the same as those used in the construction illustrated roo .I is in this construction provided with three.

Qsmall arms, one of which is provided with a stud 7c, which comes in contact with the shifting cam P P', described in connection with the single-rope mechanism. When the handle N (shown by dotted lines) is inthe upwhen thrown over to the position; q/,the car will be elevated, while when the handle is thrown to the position .e thecarw'ill descend. Near the top `and bottom o f the,e1eva,torshaft I place cam-blocks P P', each provided with two abrupt cam-faces and one less: abrupt,so

that as the carv nears the limit of its movement the valve will be shut oft about half,- Way, gradually shut olf abou-taquarter,and

finally shut olf entirely, which operation will,

let the car come to agradual stop, preventing sudden jar.

vVariousdevices may be employed tooperate the movable rope-pulley in. placecl the lever shown in Figs. 1 and 2,J instances of a number of such modifications being illus-` trated in Figs. 4., 5, and 6.

In Fig. 4 I have shown the lever NA geared to the shaft I-I through elliptical4 spur-gears H ,which when the handle is moved ineither direction will commence first to operate the valve slowly, then increase the speed. as the handle is turned, so as to insure the. more gradual starting and stopping of the car. l*

In Fig. 5 I have shown thelever N, provided witha segment fm, gearing with a pinion 'n.,on the shaft H in the relation of two to one,such gearing being particularly applicable where only alimited movement of such lever;` canbe obtained.

In Fig. 6 I have shown the shaft` Hgea,red to supplementary shaft Sby a pinion, andinternal segmental rack S, carried. by the. shaft H. This shaft S is provided with a' handwheel t, which when turned in one direction or the other will operate the valve toraihse` or lower the car. To the outer endof the shaft H, I prefer toattach a pointer. s, moving. over a dial-plate marked Hoist, Stop, Lowen When the wheel is turned, the pointer s will move and indicate to the operator Whichway the valve is moved. This arrangement is elpecially adapted for use in private.y houses and buildings where the elevator is not operated by a regular attendant.

It will be understood that my improvements may be applied to other constructions of` elevators than those operated by hydraulic power. For instance, in Fig. 7 I haveshown.` the lower end of the rope aattacheitopne 'arm t of a bell-cranklever Sthe opposite- `operate a clutch V, intermediate between winding and lowering drums V V2, on which are wound the boistingropes attached to the u elevator-car. right position the elevator 1s stationary, and

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination of a rope attached to a `iixture at one end and a. powerfcontrolling device to whichl the other endof the'ropeis lconnected, with a` rope-pulley- M' an@ wheel or pulley I, attachedto a canaleveriprovided wwith a piu orV lug Controlling thenostcaot; the wheel or pulley I, andii camyblooka l? E to act on 'said pin orlug-to autpmaticailytop,

,the car, substantially as described.`

2, The combination, in, controllingdevices.

`for elevators, of a suspended cable connected. .to the stopping and starting,devicaacarfhaaving devices for actingupon',` and, moving said cable, and contact-plates. atthe upper and.l lower limits, of travel; of thel car tofengage said devices onthe car and automatically stop;

said car.

3. The combination of a rope hung1 within, an elevator-well, with, ai tensionl device con,-` nected` to the upper end of saidropea.power.

`controlling deviceA to which, thelower end of,A

said rope is attached, anelevator-car, pulleys thereon .over which theJ rope passes, andan adjustable bearing for one. of," said,pulleys,`

whereby the distance, between. the. pulleys,

` may be increased or diminished', substantially las described.

4. The combination of` a. ropewithin the elevator-WellV and h un gfromaxtu re lat. the top of said well, and a positiveJ poweifconf trollingr device to which the lowerend ofysaid rope is connected, Withanelevatorfcar, a staf, tionary rope-pulley and: a. movable rope-pnl,-

ley, bothf'situated. on theexterior; cti-fthe s 'aidcar, a shaft extending. into,the .car, andde vices on the inner end oil-said shaftyfor,ad-`

justing the movable. rope-pulley toward and,

from the stationary rope-pulley@substantially. asdescribed.

5. The combination of an elevator-car, a.`

cable, a support therefor at the topof the ele; vater-well, a valve connected` to said cableV` for controlling the movement of the elevator,` and. a weight counterbalancingn said-support` and cable, substantially as described,

6. The combination of theelevatobcaraa weighted lever, a valve for, controlling, the.4 movement of the car, and aQableconnected at` itsupper endto the weighted lever. and atits lower endA to the valve, with; mechanismen,

IOO

IIO

the car engaging with the cable and by which l the car cngagin g with said rope to actual-e the the valve is operated from the car, substanvalve mechanism, substantially as specified. tially as and for the purpose set forth. In testimony whereof I have Signed my 7. The combination, in a Valve-controlling name to this specification in the presence of 5 device for elevators, of a valve mechanism two subscribing witnesses.

for controlling the operating of the elevatorcar, a stationary valve-operating rope con- SAMUEL E. STOKES. nected at one end to the valve mechanism, and WVitnesSes: a yielding support to which the opposite end HENRY HOWSON,

1o of the rope is attached, with mechanism on HARRY SMITH. 

